What does 'off the record' mean?

10/30/12 3:59 PM EDT

Today's ethics quesiton: Can a reporter report on the fact that he or she had an off-the-record conversation with someone?

If you're the "someone," you're probably hoping the answer is "no." Yet last week, the editor of the Des Moines Register wrote an article about an off-the-record phone call with President Barack Obama. On Friday, CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan said on air that although Sec. of State Hillary Clinton "privately... gets excited about these political events. She'll come back and talk to you about the debates off the record." And earlier this month, BuzzFeed's Michael Hastings reported that Obama "made a surprise appearance at an off-the-record drinking session with media and campaign staff."

There's actually no clear answer on whether this is right or wrong — agreements always depend on the source and the reporter. But this muddies the water a little bit, and probably portends more cumbersome pre-conversation negotiations.